Bust-supporting garment



April 28, 1953 M. R. WILLIAMS 2,636,174 BUST-SUPPORTING GARMENT.

Filed 001". 26, 1950 JIyVENTOR. MARGUERITE RENEE WILLIAMS By M I ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 28, 1953 BUST-SUPPORTING GARMENT Marguerite Rene Williams, New York, N. Y., as-

signcr to La Trique Brassieres, New York, N. Y.,

. a partnership Application October 26, 1950, Serial No. 192,176

4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in bustsupporting garments and has particular reference to an improved brassiere of the type having reinforcing inserts.

Brassieres of the aforementioned type are generally strapless and are provided with flexible and springy wire inserts which by spring tension clamp the garment tightly to the bust. Such types of brassires are often uncomfortable in wearing and do not supply adequate bust-confining properties during movement of the body.

I provide a bust-supporting garment which has breast-supporting and separating pockets or cups supported by shoulder straps, the pockets being interconnected only by overlapping rigid members each of which extends around a peripheral portion of both pockets.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a bust-supporting garment in which the breast-retaining pockets or cups are pivotally attached to each other in such a manner as to allow full freedom of movement of one pocket While leaving the other unaffected, as when the wearer raises one shoulder.

Another object of the invention is the pro vision of a bust-supporting garment which conforms to the configuration of the body and adapts itself to bodily movement, the garment being held in position without excess tension of the supporting straps and providing excellent bust supporting, confining and separating characteristics without sacrificing comfort.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a bust-supporting garment containing rigid inserts, so arranged as to eliminate pressure under the breasts, while at the same time eliminating gapping at the top and bottom of the garment and bulging at the center thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent in the course of the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a brassire made according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the central portion of the brassiere;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the rigid elements of the brassiere partially enclosed in their tubular casings which are broken away for convenience of illustration. In this view the rigid elements are shown in a position identical to that of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The drawings show my invention as applied to a brassiere, although it is to beunderstood that the invention may be as readily applied to any other type of bust-supporting garment such as a foundation garment having a brassiere portion, a bathing suit, etc.

The brassiere has the usual pair of breastreceiving pockets or cups I0 and II which are made of a suitable fabric and may have any type of conventional design. The pockets I0 and I I may be optionally provided with the usual fabric reinforcing strips I2. The outer edge of each pocket I0 and II is secured to the edge of respective back straps I3 and I4. Said back straps I3 and I4 extend around the sides and back of the wearer and terminate in attached elastic strips I5 and I6 which may be connected by a clasp IT or similar means of attachment. A shoulder strap I8 connects the top edge of pocket I 0 with the top edge of the back strap I3, while a similar shoulder strap I9 connects the pocket I I with the back strap I4.

The pockets I0 and II have respective bottom edges lfla and Ila, and top edges IIb and Mb. The pockets I0 and II also have respective arcuate inner side edges I00 and Me which are outwardly inclined from the respective bottom edges Illa and Ila to the top edges I02) and Ill), so that they join the top edges "lb and III) approximately above center of the bottom edges Illa and Ila.

The pockets I I! and II are joined by a pair of rigid insert members 20 and 2| which may be made in the shape of rigid cylindrical rods as shown in Fig. 3, or: may be made in flat strip form. The insert members 20 and 2| may be formed of rigid metal or plastic, and each is pre-shaped to conform to the shape of the pockets I0 and II. The insert members "and 2I are preferably flattened or rounded at their ends, as indicated at 22, to prevent discomfort or injury to the wearer. In the drawings, the insert members 20 and 2I are shown as having an elongated or flattened S-shape, which shape may of course be varied depending upon the size and shape of the pockets I 0 and II.

The insert members 20 and 2I are respectively encased in tubular fabric coverings 23 and 24, which are appreciably longer than said insert members 20 and 2|. The coverings 23 and 24 may be conveniently made of two elongated strips of fabric material connected along their longitudinal edges by rows of stitching 25, as shown in Fig. 4.

One end of the covering 23 is secured to the pocket H at the juncture of the top edge lib With the side edge He, by stitching 23, which stitching may also serve to close the end of said covering 23 as well as to secure the shoulder strap l9 to the pocket H. In an identical nianner one end of the covering 24 is secured to pocket II! by stitching 21.

The other end ofthe-coveringe it 1 and it may be secured-towns respective bottom edges lilaand. Na of the pockets Ill and it by stitching 28 and 29, or they may be secured to the lower edges of the side and back portions M and it, as shown in Fig. 2.

As indicated in broken line in Fig. 2,. the top end of the insert member Wis-located adjacent the stitching 2b of pocket H and the bottom end of the insert member 2%? is well spaced from the stitching 28 of pocket H3, thereby'providing a free and unfilled space 28st at the lower end cf covering 23. Similarly, a free and unfilled space H Z iwis provided at.the lower.v end or. covering it.

Fig-r 2Mshows two alternate means for holding the. coverings zt audit in flush alinement with peripheral-edge portions of. the pocl 'ets iii and i l; One or more loops arensewnaleng therespective bottom edges iiimand Ha of pockets iii and l i Similar loops 31 may be sewn at suitable spacedintervals-along the inner. side edges of the pockets, as shown attached to. the inner side edge'tl'c otpocltet l1i-i n..Fig. 2T. The coverings and 2d and: their: enclosed rigid insert members wand. 2i fit looselythrough these loops Siland 3! soth-at they may moveslidably in a longitu di'nal directientherethrough relative to the poohets Wand. i t. Alternatively the inner side edges ofthe pockets lit and! l may. belinetl with continuous fabric casings-Gis- (as shown attached to theinner sideed'ge moot. pocket it in Fig. 2 in which tiie coverings and i'nsert members may be si idably held.

I-he container-S23 therefore extends along. the inner sideedge tic of. pocket i [and then crosses over to thebottomm edge tab. of" pocket iii, being held in placein al'i nernent with these. edges by the loops iillanddl or the-casingsttzz... Similarly, the. container 2 is heldin placealong the inner side edge We otp cci zet iii and the bottom edge Einofi pocket ll, thesaid -container 2, "crossing and overlapping the container at a point of intersectiont z located between thepockets adja- I cent the bottom edges its and liwo'f said pockets iii and ii. The rigid insert members 2% 2i extend.alongithe respective inner side edges ilc i {3c.ofi poel :ets ii and f6 and then cross to the bottom edges iitwarid i m of the opposite pockets, extending appronsnateiy half-way across these bottom edges.

The pockets in and HI arethus held spaced from each. other, andihavea flexible connection at their lower ends provided by the looselyrnou'nte'd fiexibl'e strips '25 and 2.! which torma part of eaclipo'clietr Excess movement" of the pockets". lo H relative to" 0116 ZJZIGH'IB'T maybe plEVBlltd by the provision of a flexible fabric cross-band 33 which conne'cts tirelowerinner" ends of pockets at and H. The nds of this cross-band 33 may be stitchedat the point of. intersection of the inner'sid'e edges 'Hi'c and Ho of-pocliets" lit and ii with"thesbottom edges remand" i m. 'I heen'ds' of the" cross-band 33" may also slitlably house the coverings it and? 2t adjacenttneir point ofinte'rse'ction't'ztas shoti iiin Fig'. 21' Alternatively, the same" result may be achieved by loosel t ng together the coverings 23 and 24 at their point 41. of intersection 32, as by a fabric loop or band. 34 (shown in Fig. 3).

When the garment is Worn on the body, the flexible connection between the pockets ill and ii, afforded by the insert members it and 2!, enables one of the pockets to be moved i1. .iependently of the other and without distorting the other; The wearer is thus aiiorded. aiw is freeclom'of-bedilymovement; At the sarm e, the breast confining and separating functions of the garment are not sacrificed. When the wearer, for example, lifts one shoulder, the correspondbog pocket-will be raised, but due to sliding movement oitheinsert members and their coverings-throughthe loops or casings attached to the edge ofthe pockets, the other pocket wiil remain unaffected in its normal position.

It'sh'ould' also be=-noted that the arcuate divergent shapes of the inner side edges iilc and No of the pockets It and ii afford a Wide V- shaped space between the pockets so that. the

may be worn with dresses havin plunging neck-line; divergent shape inner side edges and tie is zh' 'lei by the use of the preshapecl rigidiy 1 here 20' and 2'! which efiiciently' in shape of the pocket-salons these inner edges.

While the brassiere is primarily on the body by the shoulderi'straps i3 and it and the baclr'straps Eton-d." i i, therigi'd insert in'ei' rs 2i and. 2E maintain the pockets iii and it old firmly'to the'bust, so that toon shoulderand'back straps is' not required. brassiere' is thus adapted to provide more com"- fortto th'ewearer'than the'usua'r type. It should also ben'oted that the rig. members 2 G' and E i press against'the breasts only along the inner side edges of the pockets and not at the bottom edges, so that there i" no appreciable pressure under the breasts.

The provision of the free and unfilled. portions 23a and 24d of the coverings 2'3 and 24' atfor'd a latitude of movement of the lower portion of each pocket Ill and it without affecting the corresponding. insert members 2B. and 2|. Thus, during. movement of the body, thecontraction of the lower portion of either. pocket willnot causethebunchingor outward bowing of thecentral portion of. the garment corresponding to the point- 32, but this-central point will. always. remain. pressed. against the. breastbone of the body, so=that-the breastsw-ill remain well separated.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have" been shown-and: describedhereindt is obvious that numerous omissions, changes, and additions may be made: in" the: invention without departing. from the spirit andscope. thereof;

I claim:

1. A bust-supporting garment comprisinga pair of spaced br'east receiving pockets; 2; shou l'd stra'p supporting each. poc'ket,-. a pair." otif ba'clri straps respectively secured to the outer edge of' said pockets andada-pted to be: interconnected at the back of the wearer, a-pair of: identical, substantially e-shaped,- rigidand? inflexible insert members, and a flexible tubular casing housing; each of. said. insert members, said: casing being jsecured atone end: to the top of one'pocket and at the other end. to. the bottom. of the other pocket, said. pocketshaving flexible fabric. res taining members secured. along. the. innerside edges and" bottom edges thereof, saideasingsiex tending. slidably through said-retaining, members, each of said contained insert members extend-.-

ing along the inner side edge of one pocket and along at least part of the bottom edge of the other pocket, said insert members and said casings overlapping in the space between said pockets at a point adjacent the bottom edges of said pockets.

2. A bust supporting garment according to claim 1 in which the casings are appreciably longer than the contained insert members, said casings being connected at their ends to the bottom edge of said pockets adjacent the outer side thereof, said casings having free and unfilled spaces adjacent said ends.

3. A bust supporting garment according to claim 1 in which the inner side edges of said pockets are upwardly divergent to provide a wide V-shaped space between said pockets, said space being bordered by said rigid insert members.

4. A bust-supporting garment comprising a pair of laterally spaced breast-receiving pockets having respective bottom edges and having respective inner side edges which extend upwardly from the proximate ends of said bottom edges and which diverge outwardly, a pair of rigid S-shaped insert elements each shaped to conform to the bottom edge of one pocket and the inner side edge of the other pocket, each of said insert elements being contained in a resilient casing which is longer than its respective insert element, each of said casings being secured at one end to the top edge of one pocket and at the other end to the bottom edge of the other pocket, each of said insert elements extending from the top edge of one pocket along the inner side edge of said pocket, and then crossing over to the other pocket and extending at least partially along the bottom edge thereof, said pockets having tubular retaining means at the inner side and bottom edges thereof to hold said insert elements and casings in alinement with said edges, said casings being slidable within said retaining means, said casings and contained insert elements overlapping each other between said pockets at a point adjacent the bottom edges of said pockets.

MARGUERITE RENEE WILLIAMS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,134,294 Yerkes Oct. 25, 1938 2,202,058 Malnick May 28, 1940 2,454,151 Glick Nov. 16, 1948 2,472,281 Bruderlin June 7, 1949 2,474,699 Gilbert et a1. June 28, 1949 2,530,829 Licht Nov. 21, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 274,815 Switzerland July 2, 1951 

